Italian VAR wants out of Syrian surveillance deal

Philip Willan |
Nov. 10, 2011

The Italian company criticized for supplying the brutal Syrian regime with telecommunications surveillance equipment has frozen participation in the project.

"The Syrian authorities are very aware of the use of social media by protesters," Lynch said. "We are aware of at least one case where someone arrested was asked to open his Facebook page to give police access to his contacts."

Formenti indicated he too would welcome tougher international sanctions on Syria. He said he had spoken to the protesters and assured them that no dissident would be persecuted as a result of Area's work.

"I hope international measures will be taken soon to prevent other people from finding themselves in a situation such as ours," he told the Corriere della Sera.